I believe in urban legends

Speaking of my constant state of fake anger and mock bitterness, there was a time when I really resented friends who sent me urban legend e-mails.

Every time I got crank messages that claimed “Barack Obama is a radicalized Muslim,” or “Proctor & Gamble is satanic,” or “Dallas is a great place,” I would fire off an angry response with a link to Snopes to straighten them out.

Not any more, however. I’m still ticked off to get those inane e-mails, but I won’t be so quick to judge the senders …

Missing any kidneys? Blame this guy.

You wake up in a hotel room bathroom in a tub of ice. You are disoriented. There is blood everywhere. You look around and see a note taped to the bathroom window. You get up, and notice a surgical incision on your lower torso. You ache as you move closer to the note. When you get there, your jaw drops. The note reads: “Your kidney has been removed. You have one hour to get to a hospital or you will die.”

Urban legend? Maybe not. It could be the work of this guy. Nepal police arrested Dr. Amit Kumar, the alleged mastermind of a ring that trafficked in at least 300 kidneys yanked unwillingly or illegally from reluctant or coerced donors. CNN

I gave up soft drinks for Lent. I felt it was merely a symbolic gesture. Turns out I’m saving my immortal soul from fornication and images thereof. This link proves it! Snopes

Heard about the mom, the kid and the car?

The story goes that a woman, seeing her kid pinned under a car in the driveway, lifts the vehicle up by one hand and pulls the kid out with the other. And in Pima County, Arizona, bystanders saw a deputy’s car involved in a flaming wreck. They flipped the car over and pulled the deputy to safety. Arizona Republic